Coin Strike

Coin Strike is one of those games that explains itself in five seconds and then keeps you busy for weeks. You drag back on a token, aim a thin guiding line, and flick it across a board to clear targets and set off little chain reactions. The physics feel weighty in a satisfying way — a token that catches the edge spins off and clips three more, and you feel clever even though it was mostly luck.

The whole thing runs offline, which is the main reason we pulled it onto the test bench. Levels load instantly, there's no waiting screen, and your progress sits on the device. Later stages add moving blockers and tighter angles, so the gentle early puzzles slowly turn into proper precision challenges. We liked that the difficulty climbs without ever feeling cheap.

Controls are one-thumb friendly, which matters when you're playing standing on a crowded tram. The only thing we'd change is the slightly repetitive background loop — swap in your own music and it's close to ideal for short bursts.

What we liked

• Instant pick-up-and-play controls
• Fully playable with no connection
• Physics that reward a bit of practice